Five years after the first cases of COVID-19, reports of hMPV, an obscure respiratory virus in China may understandably raise concerns.

While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV has circulated in humans for decades.

Cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and other seasonal viruses are on the rise across the northern hemisphere in early 2025, according to the World Health Organization. While news reports and social media videos have caused concern about a potential HMPV outbreak in China,